Jessica Leoni capped her brilliant rookie season at Rutgers-Camden by earning All-New Jersey Athletic Conference Honorable Mention in 2006. Leoni’s recognition came after a freshman year in which she finished third on the Lady Raptors with 15 points, tied for second on the team with six goals and added three assists. Three of her goals were game winners, tying senior Katie O’Connor for the team lead.
Leoni didn’t waste any time making a collegiate impression, collecting her three game-winning goals in the Raptors’ first four wins. Her goal on Sept. 2 was the Raptors’ first tally of the year and proved to be the eventual game winner in a 4-0 victory over Bridgewater College. One day later, the Raptors wrapped up the championship of the Shenandoah Women’s Soccer Shootout with a 2-0 victory over the host team.
Leoni add a pair of goals, including the winning tally, in a 3-2 victory at Cabrini College (Sept. 6). With Rutgers-Camden trailing, 2-1, Leoni scored the tying goal at 36:53 and added the winner at 54:59. One week later, Leoni’s goal at 70:32 broke a 1-1 tie and lifted the Raptors over Ursinus College, 2-1.
Leoni collected the assist on Aubree McDermott’s game-winning goal Oct. 7, when the Raptors scored at 88:51 to edge Philadelphia Biblical University, 1-0. Two days later, she had a goal and an assist in a 7-0 victory over the College of St. Elizabeth.
Leoni was a busy student-athlete at Highland Regional High School, capturing four varsity letters in soccer and three apiece in softball and basketball. She was named Second Team All-Tri-County Conference Royal Division in soccer and earned First Team and Second Team All-Conference honors in basketball as well. She also was named to the Courier-Postnewspaper’s All-Group 3 First Team for soccer in 2004 and the All-Group 3 Second Team in both 2003 and 2005.
Leoni capped her high school career by earning honors as the Highland Athlete of the Year.
A Speech Pathology major at Rutgers-Camden, Jessica is the daughter of Barbara and Louis Leoni of Blackwood. |
